• Open de Espana, Round Four

Jacquelin savours victory after dramatic play-off

Raphael Jacquelin was the outright winner following a nine-hole play-off © Getty Images

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Open de Espana leaderboard

Raphael Jacquelin tasted Open de Espana victory in Valencia following a dramatic record-equalling nine-hole play-off for the title, as the Frenchman joined Felipe Aguilar and Maximilian Kieffer on five-under-par overall following the final round at the Parador de El Saler.

Aguilar managed three holes of the play-off before dropping at the fourth attempt to crown a winner, before Jacquelin and Kieffer contested down the 18th hole a further six times in the hope of victory.

Jacquelin was crowned champion after the ninth trip down the last hole, two hours after the final rounds had ended. Jacquelin made a birdie-three to Kieffer's par to claim his fourth European Tour victory and first since the 2011 Sicilian Open.

"That is very tiring but I am really, really happy," Jacquelin said. "I could not make any putts (in the play-off) but the last one dropped, which means a lot for me and my family.

"There's another baby coming at the end of November; every time I get a baby, there's a win so I'll have a football team after a few years!"

Marc Warren looked the likely winner as the final rounds began to come to a close but the Scotsman, who led the field overnight, hit four bogeys in his last five holes to finish with a four-over-par 76, one shot of the leading trio at the end of proceedings.

Elsewhere, England's David Howell suffered a nightmare final round, finishing with a seven-over-par 79 to drop down the leaderboard and out of contention. Scotland's Craig Lee, one shot from the lead overnight, suffered a similar fate, carding a six-over-par 78 to end on even-par for the tournament.

Fellow Brits Paul Waring and David Horsey both shot 73 to drop to four-under-par overall, while Sergio Garcia endured another inconsistent round of 71 to end at two-under overall.

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